Method of separating mucilaginous from non-mucilaginous seeds.



I APPLICATION FILED MAYI8\ I917.

H. L. GRAY.

METHOD FOR SEPARATING MUCILAGINOUS FROM NON-MUCILAGINOUS SEEDS.

Patented Sept. 17,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES:

w m LL77 INVENTOR! J-[aroZeZ L. Gray ATTORNEY:

H. L. GRAY.

METHOD'FOR SEPARATING MUCILAGINOUS FROM NON-MUCILAGINOUS SEEDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l8. I917. 1,279,377. Patented sept. 17,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. L. GRAY.

METHOD FOR SEPARATING MUCILAGINOUS FROM NON-MUCILAGINOUS SEEDSr I APPLICATION FILED MAY18.1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES? INVENTOR.

ljfarolfllgfn Gray A TTORIVEY.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

HAROLD L. GRAY, F CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 CRABIBS REYNOLDS TAYLOR, COMPANY, OF CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

METHOD OF SEPARATING MUCILAGINOUS FROM NON-MUCILAGINOUS SEEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1'7, 1918.

Application filed May 18, 1917. Serial No. 169,540.

gomery and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods for Separatin Mucilaginous from Non- Mucilaginous is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide improvements in a method for separating useful grain seeds, such as clover seeds, from the seeds of noxious weeds such as buckhorn seed, which differ from clover-seed in having a surface coating'which becomes mucif laginous when moistened, and to which saw dust will adhere. It is an especial object of my invention to provide novel and improved method for moistening the seed, mixing it with the sawdust so that it will form a coating for the mucilaginous seed thereby producing a ball of larger size than the clover seed. .VVith my new method and apparatus, the wet seed isthoroughly mixed first and given ample time for the water to set in the mucilaginous seed. It is then quickly dropped into hot sawdust and rapidly spread over an upper shaker shoe Where it rolls over and over, the mucilaginous seed gathering into balls large enough to easily pass over screens with larger perforations, than has been possible with former methods.

It is further my object to provide a novel fanning arrangement utilizing an exhaust fan and a blower and a large sawdust collector. With the novel fanning construction which I have devised the separation of the sawdust from the seed is performed more efiectively and the necessity for a second cleaning of the seed in a separate machine, which has heretofore been necessary, is now eliminated. i

It is further my object to provide a novel construction and arrangement of shaker shoes and conveyers, which run more smoothly" than the seed separating table heretofore used and make less noise and require less horse power. It is further my object to provide a machine of novel construction so arranged as togreatweincrease its capacity and permit of successful operation wlth less interference from unfavorable weather conditions.

It is an object of my invention to rovi'de novel and improved means for drying the sawdust which is to be mixed with the seed.

eeds, of which the following It is further my object to provide a machine having a comparatively small number of parts, whereby to lessen the expense of construction and repairs.

With these and other. objects in view, I provide the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sidev elevation of the entire machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the entire machine;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section online 33 of Fig. 2, a portion being broken away to show the arrangement of members L; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a pipe Q, through which the sawdust is blown to the dust collector R;- from whence it is delivered to the .pans A. There are a plurality of these pans arranged in superposed relation. I provide endless chains P which carry spaced cross bars 0 so disposed as to sweep over the pans as the endless chains are operated. I provide a steam pipe K through which steam is delivered to pipes M and thencethrough suitable nozzlesN, whereby live steam is distributed over the pans A, diverting walls L being provided as shown in Fig. 3.

Members C, D, E, F, Y, and G, take the place of the separating table heretofore employed in seed separating machines of this type. 'The seed is fed into the open lower end of conveyer O and mixed with water at this point. incline or angle of about thirty degrees. It empties into conveyer E, which also is a spiral conveyer. The sawdust from the low est of the pans is delivered to conveyer D, also a spiral conveyer by which it is carried to. one end and delivered to conveyer F, the seed in conveyer E similarly being delivered to conveyer F. Seed and sawdust are mingled in conveyer F and from it are delivered to conveyer Y. Conveyer Y differs from conveyers C, D, E and F in being a two-way conveyer,- as illustrated in Fig. 4. The sawdust and seed which by this time are well mixed are dropped onto a novel shaker pan G of stepped construction, as

shown in Fig. 2. From pan G the seed and sawdust are gradually shaken down to inclined platform V. In passing over shaker 'sss'r AVAiL-AELE co er G, the inucilaginous seed gathers the sawdust about .it so as to form" small balls of large to pass through the screening 6 flows into. a spiral conveyer 5, which carries it out of. the machine.

The smaller seedwhich is non-mucilaginous falls readily through the screen to the bottomof grain shoe H and flows through spout 7. into the pipe or conduit U! Members Gr and V are both supported by a flexible bar 1 at one end, while member G is supported by a flexible bar 2 at the other end and member V by a flexible bar 3, at the corresponding end which is the front of the machine. These members are suspended by flexible bars to permit of their being given a vibratory or shaking movement. Similarly, grain chute H is suspended from the frame of the machine by flexible bars t and 5. A vibratory movement to members G, 'V and H is communicated by eccentric, rods W, preferably shaped as shown Fig. 2, which are operated by eccentrics X, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 2, there is illustrated novel means for separating the sawdust and seed and for returning thejsawdust to the dust collector R and thence to the pans A where it is used over again. I provide a pipe U, at the lower end of which is a lower fan J driven at such speed as to force a current of air that will carry the sawdust and seed up the pipe to approximately the portion designated S. At this point the driving forceof the bore is'superseded' by the suction from an exhaust fan B disposed in the upper portion of pipe U, asillustrated in the drawings. A suitable valve T is provided in pipe U. immediately below the narrow portion S. of pipe U, and just above a discharge chute 9 opening out of pipe U. I- also provide a suitable valve or.

vane Z. Valves Z and T may be adjusted by any suitable means such as by projecting knobs or handles. The force of the current of air through ipe U is regulated so that the seeds of me ium weight will be carried by the air current from the blower to a height suflicient so that they will fall back into discharge chute 9, whereas the sawdust, lighter, is sucked up by the exhaust and swept alon to the dust collector R.- A separation of t e heavier material is eflected b valveZ, said material dropping into mem er 8.

The operation of the machine has been described inconnection with the foregoing explanation of its construction. By providin the series of superposed pans, the capacity of the machine has been greatly sawdust directly to agitatin increased. The fact of using screens with larger perforations and the employment of my improved method of mingling the seed and sawdust has also made it possible to operate on a much larger quantity of seed' than heretofore. The shaker shoes and conveyers which have taken the place of the table employed in former seed" separating machines provide an important improvement in that they run twice as-smoothly, with very little noise and require less horse power. The employment of the nozzle arrangement of a combined blower and ex-' haust fan makes it possible to efl'ect a more complete and thorough separation ofseed into hot sawdust and rapidly spread over.

the upper shaker platform where it rolls over and over from step-to step downwardly. This enables the mucilaginous seed to collect about it a coating of'sawdust so as to form balls large enough to easily pass over the screen which has larger rforations than has been possible with ormer machines, thus causing a more effective separation of the useful 'nonnucilaginous clover .seed

from the mucilaginous and undesirable buck horn and otherweed seeds. a

What I claim is: v 1. The method of separating mucilaginous seeds. from 'non-mucilaginous seeds, consistlVith the new method, the

ing in mingling wet seeds and dry sawdust; I

thereafter agitating and'conveying'the material. to cause a balling action of the mucilaginous seeds; andzseparatingthe'non-mucilaginous seeds from the sawdust-balled mucilaginous seeds.

2. The method of separating mucilaginous seeds from non-Inucilaginous seeds, consisting in mingling wet seeds and dry sawdust; delivering the mingledseeds and sawdust directly to agitating and conveying apparatus; agitating and conveying the material to cause a balling action of the mucilaginous seeds; and separating the non-mucilaginous seeds from the sawdust-balle'd muci'laginous seeds.

3. The'method of separating seeds of the class described, consisting inv heating absorbent material; wetting the seeds; conveying and mingling the wet seeds andfhot absorbent material without ex 'osureto the outside air; delivering the mingled seeds and and conveying apparatus to cause a ba ing action of the mucilaginous seeds, and separating the balled mucilaginous seeds from the nonmucilaginous seeds.

HAROLD L. GRAY. 

